Visiting Kew Gardens | Travel

Hello everyone! If you caught my Instagram stories yesterday, you will know that I was visiting Kew Gardens! After hearing good things, my family and I decided on a trip there.

Visiting Kew Gardens

Getting there

As it was a day visit, the choice was to get up early and drive, risking the M25 traffic, or go by train. In the end, train won. We had to change a couple of times due to the different tube lines, but we weren’t in a rush, as Kew opens until 8pm on Fridays. What’s more, we arrived at lunchtime, perfect for refuelling before exploring the gardens (the food was delicious).

The Glasshouses

Kew is mainly known for its glasshouses. The Temperate House is the largest, and after a major refurbishment, it’s truly spectacular. The setting provides great photo opportunities and if you go up the spiral staircase, you get a wonderful view of the main room.

What’s more, the Temperate House is not too hot, unlike the famous Palm House. The Palm House windows need a refurbishment, but nevertheless the building is impressive in its own right.

Main Sights

Aside from the glasshouses, Kew Gardens is home to many impressive sights. There’s a real variety of plants and gardens, from the rock garden, Bamboo garden to a cactus collection. Even a stroll along the Thames looking across to Syon Park is an activity well-worth doing.

For me, highlights included the pagoda, treetop walk and Hive, a sensory experience representing the life of bees.

If you’ve been walking for a while and need a sit down, then there’s a land train with a guided commentary which takes you around the main areas of the gardens. We managed to grab a space, but it was really busy, so I’d recommend pre-booking. Alternatively, the cake in the café is so good and ideal for a tea break (my blueberry muffin was heaven).

Would I go again? 

Yes. There is so much to see at Kew Gardens, that we didn’t have time for everything. Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage are on my list for next time. However, if you don’t live in/near London, I recommend staying over night somewhere. By the time we got home I was absolutely shattered and going on the tube during rush hour is a nightmare! Visiting Kew Gardens is definitely a 2-day trip!

Whilst we’re here, a blog update

To finish off, a little note from me. Due to my upcoming year abroad, I’ll be switching to 2 posts a week in September, on Mondays and Thursdays. I’ve also been agonising over my blog content. My upcoming posts are all blogging/lifestyle/student/mental health related. I’m thinking of making these categories the main focus of my blog, as I prefer these to fashion and beauty posts. Any opinions much appreciated.

Megan x